Hot Bats, Trio of Arms Lead to Doubleheader Sweep

Thursday, February 20

Cathedral City, CA

10:00 AM

University of Oregon

10-0

Bethune-Cookman

1-10

Oregon

Bethune-Cookman

02/20/20 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score - Oregon 8, Bethune Cookman 0 (6)Box Score - Oregon 7, Mississippi State 2

By: Derren Iha

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Behind strong efforts in the circle by three different pitchers and yet another balanced offensive performance, No. 15 Oregon picked up a doubleheader sweep with a 8-0 win over Bethune-Cookman and a 7-2 win over Mississippi State Thursday to open the Mary Nutter Classic.

The Ducks are off to an 11-0 start, good for the third-longest winning streak to begin a season in program history behind only the 2017 and 2015 teams.

Game 1 (Oregon 8, Bethune-Cookman 0) – Oregon jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in an 8-0 run-rule win over Bethune-Cookman, led by a combined shutout effort in the circle by Samaria Diaz and Brooke Yanez and three-RBI days by Terra McGowan and Mya Felder.

How it Happened: Same as it's been all season, the Ducks jumped on the board early on with a three-run first inning. Haley Cruse singled to left and moved to second on an error before McGowan drove her in with an RBI double one batter later to make it 1-0. Later in the inning,
Felder delivered a two-out, two-run single to right scoring Allee Bunker and McGowan.

The Ducks kept it rolling in the second inning, plating four more runs to stretch the lead to 7-0. McGowan came through with her second RBI of the game with a single to score Vallery Wong before Rachel Cid hit a towering two-run shot to left, making it 6-0. Felder again came through with two outs, this time with a double down the left field line to score Bunker from second.

After the offense stalled a bit in innings three through five, McGowan delivered once again, this time hitting a laser into the right center gap to score Cruse all the way from first and bring the run-rule into effect.

Game 1 Box Score Notes: A trio of Ducks posted three-hit games, with Cruse and McGowan going 3-for-4 and Felder going a perfect 3-for-3 … McGowan, Felder and Cid combined to drive in all eight Oregon runs, with McGowan and Felder driving in three and Cid finishing with two RBIs … Cid hit her fourth home run of the year and went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored … The Ducks hit .429 (6-for-14) with runners in scoring position while going 7-for-12 with two outs … Five of Oregon's eight runs came with two outs.

Game 2 (Oregon 7, Mississippi State 2) – After falling behind in the top of the fourth inning, Oregon answered with a five-run bottom of the fourth on the way to a 7-2 win over Mississippi State to cap off the doubleheader sweep.

How it Happened: Down 2-1 headed to the bottom of the fourth, the Ducks responded by batting around and scoring five runs on five hits to take a 6-2 lead. Wong delivered the go-ahead RBIs with a two-run double to right center, scoring Ariel Carlson and Hannah Galey to make it 3-2. Cruse followed two batters later with a run-scoring single to left before Cid capped off the frame with a two-RBI single back up the middle. Allee Bunker added some insurance in the sixth with a two-out RBI single up the middle to plate Cruse.

Yanez again came out of the bullpen for the start of the fifth and gave up a leadoff triple, but worked out of the jam to keep the Oregon lead at four. She again stranded a runner at third in the sixth inning and worked around a one-out double in the seventh to finish off the win.

Once again, Oregon's duo of Cruse and McGowan got things started, teaming up to put up a run right off the bat. After Cruse led off with a triple to right field, McGowan delivered her fourth RBI of the day with a single up the middle. The Ducks loaded the bases later in the inning, but couldn't push across any more.

Mississippi State jumped in front in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs on two hits off of UO starter Jordan Dail. Anna Kate Segars tied things up with a single before the Bulldogs took the lead one batter later following an Aquana Brownlee sacrifice fly.

Game 2 Box Score Notes: Cruse went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored, finishing a homer shy of the cycle … McGowan turned in yet another multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI … Cid and Wong each came up with key two-RBI base hits … Yanez threw three shutout innings of relief again, striking out two and walking none … Oregon pitching held Mississippi State to 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners on.

Overall Notables: Oregon's no. 1 and no. 2 hitters, Cruse and McGowan, combined to go 11-for-15 (.733) with seven runs scored and five RBIs … Cruse finished the doubleheader 6-for-8 with five runs scored, an RBI, double and triple … McGowan was 5-for-7 with four RBIs and a pair of doubles … The Ducks' offense finished with a combined 24 hits while going 12-of-29 with runners in scoring position … Dail, Diaz and Yanez combined to throw 13 innings and give up just two runs, while striking out 14 and walking just two … Ducks' pitching held Mississippi State and Bethune-Cookman to just 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position over the two games.

On Deck: The Ducks will have another doubleheader Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with games against Notre Dame (3 p.m.) and Idaho State (5:30 p.m.).